Answer me these questions three
Thursday, November 14, 2019 at 9:47PM Yours truly is sick-sick-sick today so please inspire me right out of this cold by answering questions. First Which movie cures illness? What makes you feel so good that you leap right out of the metaphoric bed with the ability to run a maraton. This is the time when we really wish A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood had already arrived in screener form.
Been thinking about the greatness of Debra Winger in Terms of Endearment. In all the the years since, I have never heard an audience sobbing its heart out like they did over her last scene with her boys. pic.twitter.com/CoMLUa7wxZ
— Farran Nehme (@selfstyledsiren) November 14, 2019
On Twitter today there was a brief shout-out to Debra Winger's Terms of Endearment performance... and it reminded that one of the very first time I heard someone discuss the art of acting in passionate detail was a Siskel & Ebert special 'if we picked the Oscars' or some such. They were split on Shirley or Debra in Terms. What's the first time you were ever enthralled listening to people talk about acting?
Finally I promise to write about this year's Oscar race in the morning. Which category do you most want to discuss?
Reader Comments (33)
1. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
2. Siskel & Ebert in the 1990s as that was kind of a gateway to what cinema is for me.
3. Best Visual Effects
Under the Tuscan Sun with Diane Lane and Sandra Oh can cure illness for me. Sure it’s lighthearted and fluff but it’s pure sunshine from start to finish and you root for Diane lane every step of the way. It always cheers me up when I’m down 🙂
Cures illness: Your go-to comfort food comedy. Maybe one you've loved for decades? Sister Act came to mind for me.
Acting discussion: 2002 Actress has been a constant debate in some corners. That was the year I really fell for both Nicole and Julianne, my two favorite living actors.
Category: Always Actress. And since so many have pointed out it's not as strong this year, it occurred to me that a review of the last few years might be fun. We've really been spoiled with so many options (though of course the Academy's picks don't always reflect the deep bench).
1. Vertigo, because I can't think about anything else while it's on. Everything else just drifts away...
2. When Bullets Over Broadway came out, I remember Dianne Wiest discussing her initial failure at capturing her character as Woody had intended when he wrote it, and her subsequent about-face of acting styles (change of register, grand theatrics, etc...). Love her, love the performance, love the movie.
3. Original Screenplay... AND Director!
shirley and debra in TERMS feels like a good source for a passionate debate on acting. i remember when i was young and was blown away by shirley in TERMS: such panache, such a grip on the comedy, so accomplished, etc. but today, to me debra winger's work blows her away. while shirley's work still "lands" and delivers, it all feels a little phony now, and winger is so naturalistic and simple and direct and burrowed into the true heart of that character. but their stylistic differences are part of what makes the movie work: it's a hollywood movie through and through, done in that stylized james l brooks just-beyond-sitcom style that's not seen anymore, but it works. a good rainy/sick day movie for sure!
1. Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! as it is sheer joy and worked for me tonight. (My more common answer is Singin' in the Rain)
2. Max and Mike on the Movies, a weekly radio show from 15ish years back. I would listen to the same episode multiple times as a kid.
3. Best Original Song, because Frozen 2 is out next week and Beautiful Ghosts by T.S. Eliot stand-in TS is out tomorrow to promote CATS (2019)
The film that best heals me is The Station Agent. We all need friends, people who don't necessarily understand us but we enjoy. I find myself rejuvenated after spending 89 minutes with Fin, Joe and Olivia. Like me, they struggle with fears, sadness, and anger. The unlikely camaraderie shared amongst this unexpected trio are true to our best friendships. We are intrigued by people who are different than ourselves. The discovery of similarities in humor, intelligence and compassion build strong, enduring bridges. The Station Agent restores my soul.
1. Any musical from the 40's and 50's. I know it's a cliche, but I don't know how you can watch Judy, Gene, and all the rest give it 100% and NOT have a big-ass smile on your face!
2. Honestly? The 2008 Oscars. Watching every acting category be introduced by former winners and hearing them talk to the nominees will never not put a smile on my face. Especially I think it was Shirley McClaine telling Anne Hathaway she had one hell of a voice!
3. Either one of the supporting acting categories.
FEEL BETTER SOON, NAT.
1. comfort food cinema, try "Postcards From the Edge", (it's a recovery arc) or watching "Gosford Park" (rich setting, and so engrossing you are fully distracted).
2. Pauline Kael (reviews) and Molly Haskell ("From Reverence to Rape")
3. You are recovering, so pick whatever category appeals to you.
1. Aliens (Director’s Cut): Because in the vast emptiness of space, James Cameron posits that the connections we make are what pull us through our darkest moments. *SPOILERS* Ripley tragically loses one daughter but gains another. She overcomes her (understandable) prejudice towards androids via Bishop. And the Marines aren’t simply pawns in Weyland-Yutani’s callous military-industrial complex. They’re given wonderful quirks and complexities so that you truly feel the weight of their losses. *SPOILERS* Not only is Aliens a masterpiece of sustained tension and world-building, it’s a striking portrait of humanity’s flaws and glories following them to the outer reaches of the universe. It may be Cameron’s most hopeful film. I tear up just writing about it, which is why it’s not only a comfort watch; it’s my absolute fave.
2. Nick Davis’s performance reviews opened my eyes to the nuances of acting in a way that I haven’t been able to shake since I started reading them almost a decade ago. See for yourself: http://nick-davis.com/osactresperfspage.html
3. Supp. Actor or Actress
P.S. Wishing you a speedy recovery, Nathaniel!
1.when harry met sally . Comedy-romantic movies are always best choices for illnes!
2.2007 . I was just 12 years old and knew nothing about movies when my movie buff cousin was passionately talking about ellen page in juno! That year i was rooting for page in the oscar race but now my heart belong to the great julie christie.
3. Best supporting actress . Thanks god it seems nobody is frauding herself to that categoury this year!
Wishing you a great recovery, nate❤️
1. Oddly enough - A Goofy Movie. Such an instant happiness creator!
2. Also Siskel and Ebert. I was so obsessed. I even had the honor of having a letter that I wrote to Roger Ebert basically become the entire main page of rogerebert.com when he first got sick. Something about how they were more famous than Tom Cruise to me, because Cruise was in a movie once a year but they were on tv talking about movies every week.
3. Sup Actress.
Feel better! All the love!
My favourite pastime is to check on IMDB the list of roles that Debra Wigner turned down in the 80s and the 90s
1- The Sound of Music, ALL the Pixar's masterpieces.
2- Every single Inside The Actors Studio i've seen.
3- ... Actresses?
Cory, that is a great story. Roger Ebert is a treasure.
1. I can't think of entire movies that cure my illnesses. But certain scenes do. For example, I can think about La Bening referring to "endolphins" in Postcards from the Edge and am in bliss.
2. It's more about the business behind acting, but I remember watching Sharon Stone on "Inside the Actor's Studio" probably 20 years ago. It was towards the end of the episode and she was addressing the audience and taking questions. She very bluntly talked about how women are the majority of the population in the world and should push out chauvinistic men and be running Hollywood and making their own stories, etc. It struck me as awesomely ballsy and in-your-face at the time. I sometimes think that Sharon Stone is kind of a genius who both works and allows herself to be worked by the system.
3. I want to discuss what you all want to discuss. So thankful for this site and all the contributors and commenters. You keep me thinking!
1. Private Benjamin cures EVERYTHING
2.. Probably the 1998 Best Actress race. I was surprised by how down people were on Gwyneth, and how people thought Cate Blanchett's performance in Elizabeth was one of the all-time greats. 20-plus years later, Gwyneth's holds up while Elizabeth feels like minor Blanchett. (To be fair: Blue Jasmine makes anything look like child's play, and Elizabeth is a terrible movie, and always has been.)
3.) Best Actor (I'm shocked that I just said this). People seem to think Driver has a shot at winning but I feel iike Joaquin is going to steamroll the majors.
1. Jawbreaker or Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
2. Siskel & Ebert
3. You've been covering the higher-profile categories in the podcasts, so how about Cinematography or Production Design?
Debra W very underrated now,her peak 80 - 87 run was great,I wonder if she'd be promoted Supporting if TOE came out in 2019.
I agree that some of MacLianes performance is screaming "Gimme Gimme Gimme The Oscar at Midnight" but Winger is so natural and open.
I only recently discovered Sissy Spacek was first choice,now that's a whole different film right there,a totally different actress from Winger.
Get Well Soon Nat.I'll send Whoop round with chicken soup,if you get that joke you remember the 90's.
I believe that Winger 100% would be pushed in Supporting if ToE was released now, and likely would've won (giving ToE three acting wins).
I most want to discuss Supporting Actress as well, Lopez in particular. In my mind, she is totally a lead. She gets tons of screen time, scenes on her own, and the movie is really about her relationship with Wu. It's like saying Meryl Streep is supporting in Prada.
Maybe discuss (not oscar related) - "Cast This" for the Follies film just announced
(feel better!)
Freed Unit MGM musicals: On the Town, The Pirate, Meet Me In St. Louis, The Band Wagon, Royal Wedding, Easter Parade....
1. What About Bob?, Murder On the Orient Express (the real one, 1974),
2. Siskel and Ebert
3. Best Supporting Actress
I adore Shirley in TOE and she is perfection, but I can't help but yearn to find out what this movie would have been like if my beloved Jennifer Jones had got to play that fantastic role. But James L. Brooks said she was too old. Shame on him, even if that was true. Sigh.
1. Temporada de Patos (Duck Season). An apparently simple story but i found it lovely, funny and deep at the same time. I can´t stop smiling every time i watch it.
2. People talking about acting is not much of my thing, I prefer actors talking about their work. I don´t remember the first time i watched one but here in México there were a TV show named TAP that is the most similar to Inside the Actors Studio and the couple of episodes that i remeber most were the interviews to Ofelia Medina and Gustavo Sanchez Parra.
3. The screenplays categories. I have the impression that in recent years most of the films nominated for best picture receive automatically a nomination in the screenplay category leaving out more interesting choices in writing works. I´d like a discussion about that.
I don't usually rewatch my fav films when I'm sick because I fear the sickness will affect my judgment. Imagine not enjoying Purple Rose. I would die!
Curious if anyone has watched the youtube video with Joaquin Phoenix being interviewed by his sisters (they have a video series)? It made me really like him - and it's an interesting discussion on his role of Joker.
1. Bridget Jones' Diary and Actually Love. Any Fred Astaire musical works too.
2. When Charlize Theron blowed everyone's minds in Monster.
3. Sup. Actor from the 40s and 50s, there are many oscar winners in that category I'm not familiar to and love to. Also, have you ever revisited uncontinued categories as best Story and best choreohraphy?
Freed Unit MGM musicals: On the Town, The Pirate, Meet Me In St. Louis, The Band Wagon, Royal Wedding, Easter Parade....
1- Musicals and Disney movies in General for me
2- I don't have a clue? *lol*
3- The animated Shorts would be nice to discuss. They're often very creative but quickly forgotten. *sigh*
How about Best Original Song? Especially with Taylor and ALW releasing "Beautiful Ghosts?"
To cure illness - I watch obscure YouTube interviews with a few actresses - Bette Davis, Ellen Burstyn, Maggie Smith, Angela Lansbury, Liza Minnelli, Jane Fonda .. or just watch the TCM app. Yes I’m that odd 35 year old :)
1. Begin Again. The rooftop scene especially. The moment where the violinist is hopping around on one foot excitedly especially.
2. Probably someone on Inside the Actors Studio, to be honest.
3. Any of them.